ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 266

This is to be borne in mind that the spiritual awakening is to be sharply distinguished from the moral and the intellectual conversion. Even if the man in the first g asth na gets endowed with the capacity of intellectual and moral achievements, it cannot be said to have dispelled the spiritual darkness. The characters portrayed by Jaina C ryas of Dravya-lingi Muni and of the Abhavyas who have attained to the fair height of intellectual knowledge and moral uplift illustrate this sort of life without spiritual awakening. Thus the flower of mysticism does not blossom by the water of mere morality and intellectuality, but requires spiritual manure along with it.
It will not be idle to point out here that the soul in this g asth na is called Samyagd ti, Antar tman, (37) Bhinnagranthi, 38) and the occupant of Sthir d ti..39) Being spiritually awakened, the Samyagd ti considers his own self as his genuine abode regarding the outward physical dwelling places as artificial.40) He renounces all identification with the animate and inanimate objects of the world and properly weighs them in the balance of his discriminative knowledge. His is the only self that has acquired the right of Mok a. Besides, he practices universal compassion (Anukamp ) 142), does not hanker after worldly opulence and empyrean pleasures, shows no feeling of disgust at the various bodily conditions caused by disease, hunger (44) etc., and is free from all fears. Again, being overwhelmed by fear, inferiority and greed for profit, he does not recognize His as Dharma. 146 Apart from this, he has deep affection for spiritual matters and strengthens the conviction of those who are faltering in their loyalty to the path of righteousness and disseminates spiritual religion through various means best suited to time and place. 48]
3. Fall from Awakening or (A) S s dana g asth na and (B) Mi ragasth na If the spiritual awakening is due to the total annihilation of Dar ana Mohan ya (Visiondeluding) Karma, the self has thrown over all the chances of its fall to the lower stages. But if the spiritual awakening is consequent upon the suppression of Dar ana Mohan ya Karma, the self either falls to the lower stages or remains in the same stage with the emergence of certain defects ordinarily incognizable. 5) If the self descends to the first g asth na, again darkness overwhelms him; 5) or the self falls to the third g asth na, namely, Mi ra g asth na wherein total scepticism as regards matters spiritual prevails. 52S s dana g asth na is the intermediary stage of the self which has fallen from the peak of the mountain of Samyagdar ana, but has not arrived at the stage of the Mithy tva g asth na. 53 In this stage the peculiar taste of the fall from Samyagdar ana like the peculiar taste of sweet food after its vomiting is experienced.15
4. Purgation or (A) Virat virata g asth na and (B) Pramatavirata g asth na After dispelling the dense and intense darkness caused by the vision deluding (Dar ana Mohan ya) Karma, the passionate and ardent longing of the awakened self is to purge the conduct deluding (Critra Mohan ya) Karma which now stands between it and the transcendental self. Only those who are in possession of sturdy will are capable of doing so, says Am tacandra. In the fifth g asth na, the aspirant who is a householder is incapable of making himself free from all His root and branch.56 In consequence, he adopts the five partial vows (A vratas) along with the seven la vratas in order to sustain the central virtue of Ahis as for as possible.157) This state of the self's journey has been called Virat virata or De avirata g asth na, since here the aspirant avoids intentional His of two to five-sensed J vas, but he has to commit the intentional His of one sensed J vas namely the vegetable bodied, fire bodied (58) etc. Besides, the His which is committed in being engaged in a certain profession, in performing domestic activities and in adopting defensive measures, cannot be avoided by him.5 This shows that the householder's life is a mixture of virtue and vice,C60) which obstruct the purgative way pursued by the mystic.
Hence the aspirant, being motivated by certain incentives to spiritual life (Anuprek s) gradually renounces the householder's type of living, becomes a saint in order to negate Hi s to the last degree. In consequence, the saint observes five Mah vratas, five Samitis, three Guptis and practises internal and external austerities with special attention to meditation, devotion, and Sv dhy ya. Besides, he gets food by begging, eats only a little, gets over sleep, endures troubles, practices universal friendship, adheres to spiritual uplift, and turns away from acquisitions, association and life-injuring activities. 62 Thus from the life of Muni, 'vice totally vanishes and there remains virtue which will also be transcended as soon as the flight into the realm of spirit is made. Since in
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0